‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK teachers on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the classroom

Around the UK, learners have been exclaiming the words ““67” during instruction in the most recent meme-based craze to sweep across schools.

Although some instructors have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been talking to my secondary school class about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an reference to something rude, or that they detected something in my pronunciation that sounded funny. A bit exasperated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I got them to clarify. Honestly, the explanation they offered failed to create much difference – I remained with little comprehension.

What possibly made it extra funny was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. I have since discovered that this frequently goes with ““67”: I meant it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

To kill it off I aim to mention it as often as I can. No strategy reduces a craze like this more effectively than an adult attempting to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unpreventable, maintaining a rock-solid school behaviour policy and standards on student conduct is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Guidelines are one thing, but if students embrace what the school is practicing, they will remain less distracted by the online trends (at least in instructional hours).

With sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, except for an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the same way I would handle any different interruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a previous period, and there will no doubt be a different trend following this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own youth, it was performing Kevin and Perry impersonations (honestly out of the classroom).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to behave in a manner that redirects them in the direction of the course that will help them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is graduating with qualifications rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. I believe it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, though – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – similar to any additional shouting out is. It’s notably tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, whereas I appreciate that at high school it might be a separate situation.

I have served as a teacher for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This craze will diminish in the near future – it invariably occurs, notably once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was mainly male students repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread with the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was simply an internet trend akin to when I was at school.

The crazes are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so students were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I think they simply desire to experience that feeling of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

I’ve done the {job|profession

Brandy Phillips
Brandy Phillips

A passionate esports journalist with over a decade of experience covering major tournaments and interviewing top gamers worldwide.